Red Sox Journal: Devers' blunder becomes a teaching moment

BALTIMORE — Those hoping for something resembling a Draconian punishment for Rafael Devers were left disappointed on Tuesday.

The Red Sox third baseman was back in the lineup one night after a baserunning blunder in the ninth inning of a 5-3 victory over the Orioles.

Devers was doubled off second base on a shallow Mookie Betts liner to center, ending an inning in which Boston had loaded the bases. [...]

BALTIMORE — Those hoping for something resembling a Draconian punishment for Rafael Devers were left disappointed on Tuesday.

The Red Sox third baseman was back in the lineup one night after a baserunning blunder in the ninth inning of a 5-3 victory over the Orioles.

Devers was doubled off second base on a shallow Mookie Betts liner to center, ending an inning in which Boston had loaded the bases. The failure to add a couple of insurance runs forced Craig Kimbrel to enter in the bottom of the ninth, stealing what could prove to be a valuable day off over the course of the season’s final two months.

“I told him yesterday that, for whatever happened, we won the game,” Red Sox manager Alex Cora said. “One thing I try to tell him — if you go 0-for-5 or you make an error and we win, don’t show that you’re still upset at what happened. At the end of the day, the goal is to win games. He understood that. He came in with a good attitude and he’s ready to play.”

Cora laughed off the notion of using negative reinforcement to motivate the 21-year-old. Those hoping for Cora to publicly embarrass any of his players in some way — a tongue-lashing in the dugout, for example — will be left waiting. Cora prefers a softer approach, muted discipline he hopes to apply behind the closed doors of his office and his clubhouse.

“He explained to me what happened,” Cora said. “He was very honest. Most of the time here, if you make a mistake, they know right away. The goal is for them not to repeat it. That was a learning experience yesterday. He knows it was a mistake.”

Cora is prepared to deal with any fallout from such a play. That included leaving a warm Matt Barnes in the bullpen and a potential meltdown had Kimbrel allowed more than his first earned run since June 12. He relayed those bigger picture consequences to Devers before the first pitch on Tuesday.

“I explained to him the other stuff — that run, what it meant,” Cora said. “I don’t want him to manage. He understood, he turned the page and, hopefully, it doesn’t happen again.”

Betts up for Hustle Award

Betts was announced Tuesday as Boston’s nominee for the 14th annual Heart & Hustle Award.

The honor is bestowed by the Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association. Dustin Pedroia (2013) is the lone previous Red Sox winner. Angels infielder David Eckstein received the inaugural version in 2005 and Yankees’ outfielder Brett Gardner captured the honor last season.

“He brings energy every day,” Cora said. “He’s a good teammate. He wants to be great. Well deserved. There’s a lot of guys who deserve that award.”

According to its website, the MLBPAA seeks to honor players who “demonstrate a passion for the game of baseball and best embody the values, spirit and traditions of the game.” The overall winner will be announced Nov. 8 at the 19th annual Legends for Youth Dinner in New York. The event serves as a fundraiser for a series of baseball clinics that reach more than 18,000 children per year.

Lin out, Pomeranz in

Boston optioned Tzu-Wei Lin to Triple-A Pawtucket on Tuesday, making room to activate starting pitcher Drew Pomeranz (left biceps tendinitis). The roster move left the Red Sox with just three position players on the bench and 13 pitchers on its current staff.

“We can’t get caught up in using the same guys after the same guys after the same guys,” Cora said. “Keeping the bullpen that way gives me options if that happens.”

Ryan Brasier has forced his way into the picture with seven scoreless innings over six appearances, drawing the seventh inning on Monday. Tyler Thornburg has been touched for at least one earned run in three of his six appearances since July 6 and Joe Kelly seemingly has been banished to low-leverage situations after pitching to an 8.54 earned-run average since June 1.

“We know Tyler’s a work in progress, obviously,” Cora said. “And Joe, we’re trying to get him back on track. Having that extra guy out there, it helps us to maneuver the game.”

— bkoch@providencejournal.com 

On Twitter: @BillKoch25